Four New Cookbooks to Cook From This Fall

Do you love cookbooks? You can find more cookbook coverage, book news, gossip, sneak peeks, and more on the Epicurious Cookbook Critic Facebook page.

By Jocelyn Delk Adams

The grandbaby of Grandbaby Cakes is Jocelyn Delk Adams, a home cook who writes a blog by the same name. Delk Adams chose to identify as a grandbaby because her penchant for cooking (not to mention many of her recipes) comes from her grandmother, a woman who affectionately goes by Big Mama. Note that this is a misnomer: Big Mama shows up in many of the family photos that pepper this book, and she’s a tiny little thing, leaving me to presume that it is her personality that’s so big.

Or maybe her nickname stems from her cooking. Certainly the recipe I made, Mama’s 7UP Cake, does not recoil in the face of decadence. This is a take-no-prisoners batter with five eggs, three cups of sugar, three sticks of butter, the eponymous soda, and the promise that if I beat it all together for seven minutes—a long time to hear the KitchenAid’s motor running—a pound cake with a crispy crust and a moist middle would rise in the oven.

It did. Texturally, I have never baked anything like it—the crumb was tight and supernaturally tender. It was also supernaturally sweet, but even through all that sugar I could taste butter and, if I concentrated, hints of 7UP’s citric acid. A friend of mine said it tasted like something produced by Entenmann’s—the texture was so moist it seemed like it must be made with the magic of chemicals.

Given the ferocity of the cake, I felt the final glaze—a combination of sugar and more 7UP—was a little over the top. Then again, when was the last time your cousin asked you to bring a mildly sweet coffee cake to brunch, or a lean batch of cupcakes to a barbecue? Big Mama would never abide requests like that, so in this book, you aren’t even given the choice.

The Takeaway: Baking like Big Mama is recommended. Just make sure there are lots of people around to partake.—David Tamarkin, Editor

By Adam and Jackie Sappington with Ashley Gartland

Unlike many chefs, who search everywhere for a concept or inspiration to hit, Adam Sappington didn’t have to search far for his menu. Inspired by a childhood growing up in the rural Midwest, Sappington, and pastry chef wife Jackie, created The Country Cat restaurant in Portland, OR, a restaurant that honors the rustic, hearty recipes of the Heartland: fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, creamy grits. With their new book, Heartlandia, the couple shares stories behind their restaurant’s favorites, bringing their “glorified gramma cuisine” to life.

In the book, the gramma thing is literal—the pages are packed with the Sappington’s grandparents' food. As Adam explains it, The County Cat's signature dish—Skillet-fried Chicken—comes straight from Granny Cris, the Fish Fry recipe was inspired by Grampa Jack, and a pimento cheese-like "Judy Spread" was named by Grandpa Sappy. Whip up a batch of that Judy spread and it’s not hard to imagine a grandpap digging into the bowl, too—the cheesy dip is packed full of bracing oniony, olivey, cheesey flavors. Sappington suggests giving the dip a day or two to “fester,” aka mellow in flavor. I could not agree more.

Alongside these family classics, Adam highlights his appreciation for whole-animal cooking with an entire section dedicated to dishes like Bread Pudding-Stuffed Lamb Shoulder and Mustard and Hazelnut-Crusted Tri-Tip. You’ll also find a handful of simple, seasonal dishes—mostly salads and soups—to balance it all out.

The Takeaway: Plan to spend a chilly weekend cooking these hearty classics.—Kat Sacks, Assistant Food Editor

By Heidi Swanson

I love Heidi Swanson’s cookbooks. I love them even though I’m not vegetarian and she is; I love her even though I would never make handmade dumplings to bring on a plane, and she does; I love her even though she calls for microscallions in a recipe, and I have no idea what they are.

It just doesn’t matter. Swanson’s not cooking for me, or you, or the slavish followers of any number of food trends. Like any natural cook, she’s cooking to please herself. Turn the pages of her newest book, Near & Far, and watch as she marinates green olives in grapefruit juice, blends crispy nori seaweed into butter for her radishes, garnishes a cocktail with a bunch of frozen cherries on the stem. In fact, the Instagram-toned photographs, which Swanson shot herself, often rival the recipes themselves.

But even a simple trick like showering her couscous with fresh dill doesn’t always come straight from her own creativity. As her new book demonstrates, she's often inspired by the places she’s been, from France and Morocco to Japan and Italy. Thankfully, the recipes never travel too far afield—she includes a delicious sequel to the chewy, fruit-packed Baked Oatmeal recipe from an earlier book, this one with pluots and grated lemon zest. And while she doesn’t tell you to bump up the sweetener if your pluots aren’t quite as ripe as the ones she gets in San Francisco, that’s okay. Just take inspiration from Swanson, and make it in your kitchen just the way you like it.

The Takeaway: If you can't actually live a life as pretty as Swanson's, at least you can cook like you do.—Adina Steiman, Special Projects Editor

By Samantha Seneviratne

Most of us who like sweets and feel a pull towards the piquant have enjoyed our fair share of chili-laden confections. But how often have you considered the greater spice rack when struck with a longing to bake something new?

New York-based blogger Samantha Seneviratne’s first cookbook, The New Sugar and Spice, covers just enough familiar spice territory (read: cinnamon and nutmeg) to gently ease readers into a broad collection of comforting desserts that push the boundaries of spicy and sweet. Think Pear Tarte Tatin with Anise Seed Caramel; Cardamom-Cream Filled Sugar Doughnuts; Blackberry-Lavender Clafoutis; or Bay Leaf Rice Pudding.

Along with her bold baking prowess, Seneviratne posses great talent as a stylist and—I have to image—is a quite genial person. This is a gorgeously imagined and photographed book with a warm-hearted spirit. Seneviratne’s instructions are welcoming and informative. She offers well researched spice intel and clear baking cues. Few key elements are missing from the book, save for a tip on how to best grind spices (try a mortar and pestle or purchase an extra coffee grinder to use for spices only).

The Takeaway: Freshen up your spice rack and get baking. This adventure is worth the trip.—Mindy Fox, Acting Food Editor